Traditional media equipment and computer controlled devices such as computers, televisions, message boards, electronic billboards, and monitoring devices are controlled directly over a user interface using input hardware. Typically, they are directly controlled using input devices such as a mouse, remote control, keyboard, stylus, touch screen, or the like for controlling the device. Since the input devices are integrated with the devices, in order for users to interact with a device, the users must have direct access to or be in close proximity to such input devices and screens in order to initiate actions on, operate and control the devices through keystrokes on a keyboard, movements of a mouse, and selections on a touchscreen. If the input devices are not directly accessible to the users, the interaction between the user and the devices may be limited and the user may not be able to operate and control the devices, thus limiting the usefulness of the devices.
Some devices are equipped with motion detection mechanisms and can be activated, for example, by the waving of a hand or detection of motion in a predefined area. Such mechanisms are typically coarse, however, and are incapable of providing detailed control. Touch-based technologies provide control capabilities similar to those of hardware input device like mice or keyboards, but those technologies require physical interaction with a surface, commonly the display surface of the device.